Epic Wyler Epic

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Last week I had jury duty and was picked for a trial. Lacking a PSP and earbuds, I couldn't spend the time watching UMDs and was forced to actually dispense justice. I'm plenty judgmental when it comes to cinematic zombie outbreaks (see FRIGHT PACKs below) and uncalled for sequels (see PSYCHO 2), but determining liability in fender benders is not my usual purview. This doesn't have much to do with DVDs, but has a lot to do with why I have nothing to write about DVDs for this week's column.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This week, it's hard to compete for our spotlight with this massive DVD edition of a massive classic epic in the room.

(O) BEN-HUR (Warner Bros.) Massive 4-disc collector's edition of the classic 1959 version of William Wyler's Biblical action epic about a Jewish slave (Charlton Heston) whose adventures raise him to fame as a gladiator leading to a fateful meeting with Jesus Christ. With Heston commentrak, vintage & retrospective Making-Ofs, screen tests and lots more. Also available with Bible study guide book.

NEW RELEASES

(O) ALONE IN THE DARK (Image) A power failure frees maniacs Jack Palance and Martin Landau from warden Donald Peasence's asylum in this memorable 1982 shocker from director Jack Sholder (THE HIDDEN). Includes director commentrak, interviews and more.
(O) AMC MONSTERFEST: CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA / BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (Wellspring) American International double feature.
(O) AMC MONSTERFEST: SNOW CREATURE / HAUNTED HOUSE (Wellspring)
(O) AMC MONSTERFEST 3-pack (Wellspring) The cable channel that used to be cool but now shows mostly lame movies edited with commercials presents a trio of double feature discs: THE STRANGLER / THE DEVIL'S HAND, CHANDU ON THE MAGIC ISLAND / SVENGALI and THE BLACK RAVEN / HANDS OF A STRANGER, all available separately.
(O) BE COOL (Sony) UMD
(O) THE BEING (Media Blasters) 1983 horror about a toxic waste monster terrorizing an Idaho town. Not to be confused with the similar 1979 version made in Ghana.
(O) BLACK FIST / HEADHUNTER (Treeline) 1970s blaxploitation double bill.
(O) BLACK TORMENT (Image) 1964 British gothic with a nobleman fending off accusations that he's a local serial killer from both the townspeople and ghosts.

(O) BLOODSUCKERS (Image) Peter Cushing, Patrick Macnee and Edward Woodward star in this 1972 tale of a youth seduced by a Greek vampire cult.
(O) BLOODY MALLORY (Lions Gate) Foxy Malory leads her anti-paranormal commando unit on a rescue mission to save the kidnapped Pope in this French/Spanish supernatural action flick. With Making-Of.
(O) BRADY BUNCH Complete Third Season (Paramount) Yes, another season of outrageously bland fun with the Bradys. Find out all about it and play the potato sack race game at www.bradybunchondvd.com
(O) BULLETPROOF MONK (Sony) UMD
(O) THE CALAMARI WRESTLER (Pathfinder) Wrestling champ Koji Taguchi thought his "Torture Ring Strangler" move was unbeatable. That is, until the giant squid climbed into the ring. Includes Making-Of, music video and more.
(O) CHEERS Complete Sixth Season (Paramount) Kirstie Alley joins the cast. 25 episodes on 4 discs. Also available bundled with seasons 1-5.
(O) CHILLING 50 Movie Pack (Treeline/Digital 1 Stop) Another massive bargain set from Mill Creek Entertainment.
(O) EL CHUPACABRA / SCREAM BLOODY MURDER (York) Recent slasher teamed with one of the ten best chupacabra movies ever made.
(O) DA ALI G SHOW Complete First Season (HBO) UMD the first TV series to be seasoned on UMD?
(O) DA ALI G SHOW Da Complete Second Seazon (HBO)
(O) DA ALI G SHOW Complete Second Season (HBO) UMD
(O) DEATH OF A NINJA / FINGERS OF DEATH (Treeline) Old school kung fu action double bill.
(O) DEVIL'S ISLAND LOVERS (Image) 1974 Eurosleaze from Jesus Franco about a couple sent to a notoriously sadistic South American prison.
(O) DOCTOR DETROIT (Universal) 1983 comedy with college professor Dan Akroyd tricked into taking on a second identity as a pimp.
(O) EARTHQUAKE: NATURE UNLEASHED (MTI) A massive earthquake threatens to unleash even greater peril by destroying a Russian nuclear power plant. Goofy TV-movie that's half disaster flick and half family adventure drama. Why do these NATURE UNLEASHED movies all take place in Eastern Europe?
(O) EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND Complete Fourth Season (HBO) Quick, get all these episodes on disc before everybody couldn't care less about Raymond. Includes commentraks, bloopers and deleted footage. Also available bundled with first four seasons.
(O) FEVER PITCH (Fox) Red Sox fanatic vows to give up the team to please girlfriend Drew Barrymore. Can he survive when the team suddenly starts winning? Sweet comedy from the Farrelly Brothers, plus commentrak, deleted footage, gag reel, featurettes and more. Also available in "Curse Reversed" edition that includes an "enough already" extended ending.
(O) FRANKENSTEIN (Lions Gate) Contemporary retelling of the monster story. With director commentrak and Making-Of.
(O) FRIGHT NIGHT 10 Movie Pack (Treeline)
(O) FRIGHT PACK: Man's Worst Friend (Anchor Bay) Another horror six-pack focuses on the horrifying animal kingdom: SLUGS, CAT O' NINE TAILS, PARASITE, ZOLTAN: HOUND OF DRACULA, THE BLACK CAT and RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR.
(O) FRIGHT PACK: Walking Dead (Anchor Bay) All zombie box! Could be my favorite ABE horror six-pack yet: CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD, NIGHTMARE CITY and the lone non-Euro entry, DEAD HEAT!
(O) GORE & MORE 10 Movie Pack (Treeline)
(O) HALLOWEENTOWN MOVIES (Buena Vista) Disney TV movies starring Debby Reynolds about a community of witches. Includes the original, KALABAR'S REVENGE and HALLOWEENTOWN HIGH. Includes behind-the-scenes and more. Also available separately.
(O) HEARTBEEPS (Universal) Notoriously awful 1981 comedy starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters as robots in love.
(O) HERO OF ROME / INVINCIBLE GLADIATOR (Retromedia) Gordon Scott and Richard Harrison in a twin bill of 1960s Italian peplums.
(O) THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (Buena Vista) Loads of fun, much like a Terry Gilliam comedy, though I wish they'd done a Rutger Hauer cameo. Widescreen & foolscreen editions include commentraks, deleted footage, spoof deleted footage, Making-Of, games and more.
(O) HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME / NOSFERATU (Treeline) Silent horror classics.
(O) INCIDENT ON A DARK STREET / TATTERED WEB (Treeline) 1970s crime TV-movie twin bill.
(O) JAMES DEAN / MOON OF THE WOLF (Treeline) Odd TV-movie combo.
(O) KUNG FU ARTS / SHAOLIN DEADLY KICK (Treeline)
(O) THE LOCKER (Geneon) An urban legend about a Tokyo coin locker that grants wishes unleashes an evil spirit. Also includes THE LOCKER 2.
(O) THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (Criterion) David Bowie as a Martian sent to Earth in Nicolas Roeg and Buck Henry's deft satire, reminiscent of Robert Heinlein's STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. Includes commentrak by Roeg, Bowie and Henry, interviews, a reprint of Walter Tevis' novel and more.
(O) MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA (Tartan) Snowy film noir in the spirit of FARGO with Troy Garity, Bruce Dern and Randy Quaid. With commentrak, interview, and DVD-ROM fishing game.
(O) MONSTER OF VENICE (Image) 1965 Italian horror (aka THE EMBALMER) in which a skull-faced psycho abducts women to add to his underground collection.
(O) ONE MISSED CALL (Media Blasters) Good Japanese horror movie from cult director Takashi Miike in which folks receive voicemails of their own murders 24 hours in advance via a vengeful spirit.
(O) PHANTOM OF THE OPERA / INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN (Treeline) Lon Chaney and son.
(O) PSYCHO 2 (Universal) Not bad 1983 sequel to the Hitchcock classic, with Anthony Perkins trying to keep his head together after his release from the asylum.
(O) PSYCHO 3 (Universal) 1986 sequel with Anthony Perkins camping things up a bit as both star and director.
(O) ROCK 'N' ROLL REVUE / RHYTHM & BLUES REVIEW (Treeline) Cool vintage music.
(O) SCTV NETWORK 90 Volume 4 (Shout Factory) This volume of season 5 episodes contains 12 episodes of Canadian comedy, character trading cards, commentraks, interview, featurettes and more.
(O) SHERLOCK HOLMES Complete Series (Treeline) 1950s TV series.
(O) SMALLVILLE Complete Fourth Season (Warner Bros.) Clark Kent on the football team? With commentraks, deleted footage, interviews, featurettes and more, plus a bonus disc with a first season episode of THE FLASH (while supplies last)! Also available bundled with previous three seasons.
(O) STARGATE ATLANTIS: Rising (Sony) UMD
(O) TALES FROM THE GRAVE (Razor) Horror anthology.
(O) THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (Warner Bros.) Fiftieth anniversary edition of the science fiction classic.
(O) TODAY YOU DIE (Sony) Vegas delivery driver Steven Seagal is forced at gunpoint to help thieves steal 20 million dollars and ends up in prison. When he gets out, it's revenge time.
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: THE APE MAN / DEVIL BAT (Wellspring)
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: BLUEBEARD / CHAMBER OF HORRORS (Wellspring)
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: CARNIVAL OF SOULS / NIGHT TIDE (Wellspring)
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: DEMENTIA 13 / FROZEN ALIVE (Wellspring)
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD / HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (Wellspring)
(O) TV GUIDE HORROR CLASSICS: THE TERROR / WASP WOMAN (Wellspring) The Guide puts its esteemed brand name on a collection of public domain horror twin bills. Just list the showtime as "anytime".

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List!

DVD Shopping List (© 2005 Brian Thomas) is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.